Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-06-16

|
did you see himP" he asked. child
ishly; ''were you on the shorc?"
mo, darling, he was far away.
much farther than we can see-and he
is drowned, and lying in the great sea
forever" she wept.
Then he knew that there was a
great sea-world beyond his sight. and
that somewhere in it his father was ly-
ing dead, and so the child's face grew
grave, and his eyes always seemed to
be looking much further away than
even the great hills themselves could
see. The fisher-folk and the people
scattered in the houses on the hills
around were very good to Alice in her
sorrow, but they could not provide for
her and her children, and when letter
came from her mother, kind enough
now, begging her to come back to The
West Indian Islands, they tried to per-
suade her to 90. But she refused; she
could not accept what had been denied
to her husband, and though money was
enclosed it was long before she could
bring herself to spend shilling of it.
She preferred even the charity of the
lisher-folk. SO letter after letter came.
but at last there was one she could not
resist
Remember it it your own mother
you are stecling your heart against
Mrs Brandleth wrote, land / feel for
your sorrow as if it were my own, for
your father d cd before you can even
remember. | am getting too old to
travel alone. but must go to you if you
will not come to me-"
Then she broke up the little home
the home in which, in spite OF poverty,
she had been very happy in days gone
by and in which her children had been
born-and went to her mother But
she could not stay there, and so after q
few years Mrs Brandleth put the sugar
plantations under the care of an agent
and once more Alice Trevor came to
England to live in IA small country
town.
Ten years from the time whenAlice left
Drayton. on Sea, and the sun shone no
longer down on little fishing village.
but on growing place of fashionable
resort. The houses which dotted the
hills were closer together. and at their
feet there stretched terraces and
streets, and on the once lonely shore
were the marks of many footsteps on
the sand, and rows of boats for hire,
and sailors hanging about, seeking for
oilers who would sail beneath the sum
mer sun or listen TO their yarns.
"A glorious day, MAJ am" Tom
Hardy said to an old lady who, feeble
and tired, sat down on one of the few
seats scattered about. "Ah ! a glori-
Gus day. ma'am. Would the Young
lady like u sail I've neat little craft
yonder."
mo, thank vou," she answered
quietly. May, dear, give me my
KIN ting" and the old woman and the
young girl sat down, shaded from the
fierce rays of the setting sun by the
life boat which was drawn up on the
sand behind them.
as the paint wet P the old lady
asked.
No, ma am, faint wet" the sailor
said; its the one behind I've been
touching up. 1t isn't long we've had
/ her, you see. They say 1t was Mr..
| Greathead who invented her, but it's
great heart that gives it, | think. A
lady gave that TO bray ton on Sea just
year ago this August. It's saved a
/ good number of lives already. too. y
There was no reply from the old lady.
but the bright face of May Trevor look
cd up ut him, for 1t was she and her
grandmother, Mrs .Brandleth. They
had come TO see and stay n month at
the place where Alice's married life
had been spent and had left her now
at the lodging, too tired to come out
besides, the sea was always n dreary
book with a terrible past history to her.
Yes, miss" he went on. encouraged
by the look, II owe nv life to a life.
boat-not this one but to life boat
many years ago-that is. nine last
spring. We were took up by one, m,
and two others, just as we had giver
up all hopes and were clinging to al
most the last bit of spar left. She wa
boat of an American that took us up
and belonged to ship that was boun'
outwards. There were only us three
saved from the wreck, and one of u
d.ed."
"And did the other lve?" May ask
ed.
Yes, miss, but he kept it secret. II,
was poor, YOU see, and his wife's moth
er had behaved badly. and let him ant
his wife and children almost starve
though she had plenty. So when he'
make enough to come back. without
penny in his pocket, and came here ant
found that he was counted dead, an
that his wife had gone to her mothe
with the little ones. he thought it n
use to take them back to starve again
so he determined not to let her know
he was alive till he'd money enough t
keep them. So he went back t
America. He wanted me to 90 witt
him, but / says, No, sir. 'tisn't none
. | want, but just the seafar;ng life Nv
been used to, to make me happy. How
ever. he went, and he's made a lot G
, money; twas he sent me the money t
= get yonder little craft with, now that
:. felt inclined to settle down q bit; h
:, wished me to come here because it wa
. where he lived before he set sail"
4 Mrs. Brandleth looked up at hil
q with startled eyes, and lips that woul
scarcely move.
IS Where is he nowa" she aske,
while the color died from Mays fac
e and her hands nervously claspt
themselves together.